Guilty pleasure .... thrift store shopping.

**Early Bird** · 11-19-2005, 11:26 PM

Usually, I'm not such a spendthrift as to go to the thrift store twice in one week. But this was a great 2nd hand week!

The other day, I bought 26 Highlights Which Way USA puzzle books for individual states. [We homeschool, so that was a terrific find!]

My total cost for that thrift store on Wednesday was $6:
wooden box of misc artist supplies (some charcoal; a few prismacolors);
26 paperback Which Way USA children's books
5 miscellaneous children's books
1 tall square-bottomed Tupperware container.

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I am always happy to find REAL Tupperware at thrift stores! And this container is just like the one I keep rice in...I buy rice in 25 lb pkgs ... and then I keep aobut 8 cups worth in an easy-to-reach cabinet.

But I digress ...

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Looking over the books, I realized that a few of the puzzles in each book needed the accompanying map. (But there were no maps with the books I bought.)

So, today I went back to the thrift store, hoping to find the maps to go with the USA geography puzzle books.

I spent $8. here's what I got:

* 2 Eddie Bauer t-shirts for me.
* 1 denim jumper for me.
* a very very large black zippered bag. (about 2' x 2' x 6")
* 29 Which Way USA maps
* 3 more Which Way USA books
* 7 small Tupperware containers (maybe 1 cup size)
* 2 charms -- one with a seguaro cactus is sterling silver! The other was from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

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I sure do enjoy thrift store shopping!

**PrairieRose** · 11-19-2005, 11:43 PM

Wow, those are some great deals. WTG on finding the coordinating books/maps. That's great....have you looked to see how much they would have cost new?
I'll bet you saved that amount many times over.

**SHOPGIRL** · 11-20-2005, 12:06 AM

Well, if your going to be a spendthrift, the thrift store is the place to go. I think you were very frugal! $14 for all that? Not bad

**Early Bird** · 11-20-2005, 06:53 AM

According to the Highlights site, http://www.highlights.com/shopping/p...roductID=1478:

Start your child's Which Way USA Club membership today with our special FREE BOOK AND MAP offer!

Order your first Which Way USA State Adventure for just $4.95 plus $2.45 S&H, and we'll send the California Puzzle Book and Map absolutely FREE!
We'll continue to send two new State Adventures about every five weeks at the same low price-- just $4.95 per state set, plus $2.45 S&H, conveniently charged to your credit card.

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So, except for the 'California' freebie, each books+map would cost $7.40 !!!!!! On the ebay stores about $6 (which includes shipping), for 1 book+map!

**Early Bird** · 11-20-2005, 11:04 AM

It turns out that the big bag is a Mavic Crossmax wheel bag, for bicyclists. You can see an identical one on ebay -- item #7196867959 . This one is currently at $16.99 + $8 shipping.

Ebay sellers have them new for $55 + shipping.

I'm going to fold up mine and keep it in DH's truck, for packing things like Sam's Club purchases and library books. Hey! It's so big I could pack a blanket too!

I think I found a treasure!

**midwestgal** · 11-20-2005, 11:14 AM

Wow! You certainly lot a lot of mileage out of 14 bucks! Good job!

**dolphin** · 11-20-2005, 01:01 PM

Excellent shopping buys! You did great!

**dhmunoz** · 11-20-2005, 02:36 PM

Way to go on the awesome shopping deals!

I am a devoted thrift store shopper. I LOVE to shop, but at the same time I hate to waste money, LOL. When I was 17 and had my first job, I discovered what treasure troves thrift stores are. Several years and 5 kids later, I have to say that at least 90% of what we all wear comes from thrift stores, and no one would ever guess. My 12-year-old son was just telling me the other day that some kids at school asked if we were rich or something (YEAH RIGHT!!! LOL!!! I almost choked, I WISH!!) because he wears brand-name everything. My own wardrobe is over half very-high-end designer...stuff originally purchased at Saks and Neiman Marcus. And I never pay over $5 for any item for myself--heck for anyone else for that matter. It just takes a lot of digging through racks of stuff.

Even with household stuff and furniture, very little of what we have was purchased new. Our mattresses and our TV were new. But the rest of the furniture in our living room came from a used-furniture store. I bought our stove at a yard sale for $125. I had been used for a week, looked brand spanking NEW and still had all the paperwork. Our fridge was purchased outright from one of those Rent-To-Own stores--It had only gone out for a short rental, I think it was 3 weeks. Before that it had been new. We paid $200. The best deal we got was our Whirlpool washer & dryer...we paid $400 for both from another rent-to-own store. The dryer was brand new, never used, but the washer had been out for a month, and had been scratched heavily on one side. Still pretty much like-new...the scratched don't even show because they are next to the dryer. The store manager gave us a deal on both of them because of the damage to the washer and the fact that the washer is ivory and the dryer is white. Made no difference to me

I guess I'm rambling now, but my point is--there are so many great deals to be found at the thrifts. Definitely good for the frugal budget!

**favesis37** · 11-20-2005, 02:51 PM

great deals wtg!

**Katybird** · 11-20-2005, 05:07 PM

WTG!!!! Great buys.

**mommymath** · 11-24-2005, 05:44 PM

Hi everyone! I'm new here and just have to tell you how much I love FV!

I'm an avid thrift store person, too! In the last week, I've been looking for holiday gifts for my best friend (she's also frugal and we always agree on a very low $ amt and that the gift has to be made or from a thrift or dollar store) -- I found a bag of Lamaze baby toys for her baby, like new, for $1.81. Also got a fisher price speedboat for my son for the holidays, $1.81, and a robe for him (a splurge at $2.45, but it had space ships on it).

Then at the dollar store, I got my best friend's hubby a level, some picture hangers, a car cleaning cloth, and a small set of screwdrivers, $4 total; and a Ekco cookie cooling rack for $1.

Annie

Mommy to DS5 and a very spoiled rat terrier.